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Young, impressionable social media fans of jihadists, such as Sydney terrorist Khaled Sharrouf, are emerging as the biggest terrorist threat on home soil, experts warn.

The small number of Australian followers of the terrorist group Islamic State, formerly known as ISIL, is growing and their extremist social media chatter is concerning counter-terrorism authorities.

Gruesome photos and commentary posted online by Sydney men Sharrouf and Mohamed Elomar, including an image of Sharrouf's young son holding a severed head in Syria, have found an enthusiastic audience online among young Sydneysiders.

Jihadist: Khaleed Sharrouf. Photo: Supplied

Several comments of "ameen" and "Mashallah may Allah reward them" have accompanied the photos this week, along with crudely expressed messages of support.

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One Facebook user, a PE teacher from Punchbowl, has posted images of Sharrouf in Iraq saying: "He was a good brother the area surely misses him."

Another, a Birrong personal trainer, posted: ‘‘F-kn dogs these Aussie police and this f---ed up law with the f---ed up government that sucks Americas d--- [sic]’’.

Counter-terrorism officials have expressed concern the activities of Sharrouf and Elomar, both of whom will be arrested if they return to Australia, are being glorified within tight social networks.

They say they have detected a heightened amount of "activity", including social media talk and image sharing, but the national security threat level has remained unchanged at "medium", which means an attack "could occur".

Greg Barton from the Global Terrorism Research Centre says the biggest threat in Australia is an unsophisticated lone-wolf attack, such as the Boston bombings or hacking of British soldier Lee Rigby.

"What we’re dealing with here in Australia, on the one hand, is people who are well and truly outside the mainstream for the most part and, on the other hand, they tend to have tight social connections," he said. "If they’ve got the savvy to plan something quietly without telling their mates, they may well pull something off.

"I think we just have to accept that we might be lucky and not see that happen but there’s certainly enough intent and serious association that someone in this larger network might try to do something."

Cultural leader Jamal Rifi, a finalist in the 2009 Australia of the Year Awards, who was threatened on Wednesday by a Twitter user purporting to be Elomar, says they "fill the digital space with their hate and distorted interpretations of Islam".

"We always worry about these lone wolfs but we must have struck a raw nerve with some of these keyboard warriors and they're feeling the heat," he said.

Australian National Imams Council spokesman Sheikh Mohamadu Saleem says there is "a very small number of people ... who are not listening".

On SBS's Insight program on Tuesday, a 19-year-old Islamic State supporter from Bankstown, known as Abu Bakr, walked off the set after being probed on his passport cancellation.

ASIO found he has "an extreme ideology and is planning to travel in order to engage in militant extremism''.

In an interview with Fairfax last year, he said: ''If you refuse to be silent on something, on the injustice, on the evil, on the raping and killing and bombing in Syria, then they label you a jihadist or a fanatic."

University of Wollongong professor of terrorism studies Adam Dolnik says Sharrouf can provide inspiration to "new wannabes who crave the spotlight".

"[He] could provide a morale boost for the more determined, like-minded individuals in Australia, who may be encouraged by Sharrouf’s bravado to take bolder steps," he said.

Professor Barton said state and federal police had failed to realise how important social media was in the terrorism environment until about two months ago.

"Khaled Sharrouf may not be able to carry out much by way of planning or execution but by becoming a hero via social media he may be more effective," he said.

A spokesman from the Attorney General's department said there is "credible intelligence which indicates there are individuals with the intent and capability to do us harm".

"The overall threat level would be raised to high in the event ASIO became aware of specific and credible intelligence of an active terrorist plot within Australia," the spokesman said.

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